Archive for category Vernal Equinox

Our next effort in defining the Passover supper and the seven days of eating unleavened bread is to give an overall summary of the Exodus experience. This event was the first time in which a Passover animal was commanded to be sacrificed and eaten by the Israelites.

On its primary level, the yearly observance of the Passover and seven days of eating unleavened bread is meant to recall the Israelite Exodus out of Egypt.1

Theחג(Khag; Festival) of Unleavened Bread forms part of theמועדי(moadi; appointed times) commanded by Yahweh, which gain their legal authority by means of aחקת(khoquth; statute).1

The term חג (khag) is also used when the entire seven days of eating unleavened bread is called the Passover.2

The first and seventh day of this khag are described as sacredמקראי(miqrai; gatherings for reading),3i.e., a sacred convocation on a Sabbath or high Sabbath day during which Scriptures are to be studied.4

To understand the Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread, we must first define the meanings of these two terms and explain what prompts them to be festival observances.

So you’re enjoying your vacation with the family while sunning yourself on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii with no worries. You’ve made all the preparations for the Sabbath day which begins tomorrow at sundown.

As you are sipping on that refreshing Mai Tai suddenly an ugly thought occurs. Because of the location of the Hawaiian Islands in relationship to the International Dateline, could the Sabbath day begin on a different date? If so, would it begin one day earlier or later?

One quick solution to the problem would be to quickly order another Mai Tai, down it, and hope that ugly thought disappears.

Another solution would be to continue reading as we proceed with our investigation to discover if there really should be any concern regarding the Sabbath day in Hawaii.

Because of the wide range of opinions prevailing among the various followers of Yahweh there seems to be no unified consensus regarding the truth as how to determine the beginning of the scriptural new year.

At the same time, all claim to possess the truth of the matter while insisting that they have derived their conclusions directly from Scriptures.

What we are left with are two possibilities:

1. One conclusion is correct.2. All conclusions are wrong.

For the sake of simplicity let us proceed with the possibility that all are wrong. All we are trying to do is clear away the confusion to get at the heart of the matter. Once we are finished only Yahweh’s truth should prevail.

What scriptural topic do you think evokes the most confusion and controversy among those professing to be followers of Yahweh?

If your answer is the Festival of Passover it is obvious that you are quite astute.

It seems that almost everyone who attempts to correctly observe the Festival of Passover is at variance with some other person or group. Logic dictates that not everyone is right and at the same time there is the possibility that everyone is wrong.